Dr. John A. Todhunter is a distinguished scientific executive, regulatory affairs expert, and strategic business advisor with more than four decades of professional experience spanning the pharmaceutical, chemical, biotechnology, medical device, and healthcare industries. Throughout his career, he has combined scientific expertise with executive leadership, regulatory insight, and a results-oriented approach to solving complex business challenges. From pioneering research and academic leadership to presidentially appointed federal service and private-sector executive management, Dr. Todhunter has built a career defined by intellectual rigor, adaptability, and a commitment to advancing innovation responsibly. Today, he brings this extensive experience to organizations seeking strategic guidance, sustainable growth, and informed leadership in increasingly complex scientific and regulatory environments.
Dr. Todhunter currently serves as a Senior Consultant at SRS International, where he provides specialized advisory services in pharmaceutical and medical product development, scientific evaluation, regulatory compliance, and strategic planning. Since January 2020, he has operated his independent consulting practice, continuing the specialized services previously delivered through SRS International Corporation. His decision to transition from managing a larger corporate organization to a more focused consulting practice reflects his dedication to direct client engagement and hands-on problem-solving. In this capacity, he helps organizations navigate regulatory challenges, assess development opportunities, strengthen product strategies, and make informed decisions that align scientific advancement with commercial objectives.
A defining chapter of Dr. Todhunter’s professional journey was his more than 36-year tenure as President of SRS International Corporation, from April 1983 through December 2019. Under his leadership, the organization provided clinical and preclinical data development, product development and design consultation, and regulatory compliance services to companies operating across highly regulated industries. Its expertise extended beyond pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to medical devices, food additives, industrial antimicrobial products, pest control technologies, and specialty chemicals. As President, Dr. Todhunter balanced scientific complexity with business management, client relationships, project execution, and long-term strategic direction. His leadership required an understanding of how technical innovation, regulatory requirements, operational resources, and commercial objectives intersect to influence organizational success.
Over the course of his consulting and executive career, Dr. Todhunter developed particularly extensive expertise in therapeutic and healthcare technologies, including pain management, wound healing, surgical applications, ophthalmic treatments, and antimicrobial products. His work has encompassed scientific analysis, clinical development planning, regulatory submissions, and technical consultation across multiple stages of product development. He understands the importance of evaluating scientific evidence, anticipating regulatory expectations, and establishing practical development strategies before significant organizational resources are committed. This combination of technical depth and business perspective enables him to help companies identify development risks, refine their strategic priorities, and pursue opportunities with greater clarity and discipline.
From April 2017 to March 2019, Dr. Todhunter served as Chief Science Officer at Vizuri Health Sciences, following a consulting relationship that began in July 2011. During this engagement, he played an instrumental role in advancing topical pain management products and navigating a complex regulatory development pathway. Among his notable accomplishments was his contribution to obtaining U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorization for an Investigational New Drug application supported primarily by clinical safety data generated outside the United States. This strategy enabled the development program to proceed directly into Phase 2 clinical development in the United States without conducting a separate domestic Phase 1 trial, while also avoiding certain additional nonclinical studies. The achievement illustrates his ability to integrate scientific evidence, international research, regulatory strategy, and business considerations to support more efficient product development.
Before establishing his long-standing career in private-sector consulting, Dr. Todhunter held a position of significant national responsibility as Assistant Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency from 1981 to 1983. Appointed by President Ronald Reagan and confirmed by the United States Senate, he became the youngest individual at that time to receive Senate confirmation for a presidential appointment, according to his professional record. In this role, he served as a senior federal official responsible for implementing chemical safety and control programs under the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, and relevant provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. His responsibilities placed him at the intersection of scientific evaluation, federal policy, regulatory administration, and public protection. This experience established a foundation for his subsequent work advising organizations operating within demanding regulatory frameworks.
Dr. Todhunter’s involvement in public policy and regulatory oversight began before his federal appointment. From 1980 to 1981, he served on a State of Maryland board after being appointed by Governor Harry Hughes to represent the scientific community. The board was responsible for developing regulations governing the siting of hazardous waste treatment and disposal facilities, as well as evaluating potential locations. This appointment demonstrated the value of his scientific judgment in matters involving environmental protection, public policy, and risk assessment. His experience in both state and federal government provided him with an understanding of regulatory decision-making that would become a distinguishing feature of his later consulting career.
His professional foundation was established through scientific research and higher education. From 1978 to 1981, Dr. Todhunter served as an Assistant Professor of Biology at The Catholic University of America, where he also chaired the Biochemistry Program. In that leadership capacity, he directed an interdisciplinary academic program integrating biology and chemistry and supporting more than 100 undergraduate and graduate students. His responsibilities included curriculum development, student recruitment, coordination across academic departments, and resource prioritization. This experience strengthened his ability to lead multidisciplinary initiatives, communicate complex scientific concepts, and balance competing institutional priorities.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Todhunter worked as a Biologist at the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology from 1976 to 1978. His research focused on the effects of drugs and other substances on enzyme systems involved in the transcription of ribosomal RNA genes in mammals, including investigations into the influence of aging on those systems. His work contributed to a sophisticated understanding of molecular biology, enzymology, gene regulation, and biochemical research methodologies. These formative scientific experiences helped establish the analytical discipline that has characterized his subsequent work in pharmaceutical development, toxicology, regulatory affairs, and scientific consulting.
Dr. Todhunter’s academic journey also included research and teaching appointments at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and California State University, Los Angeles. At UC Santa Barbara, he investigated enzyme mechanisms and dynamics while teaching undergraduate chemistry laboratory courses as a doctoral student. His academic achievements included receiving the first B.R. Baker Memorial Fellowship in Biological Chemistry and a University of California Regents’ Fellowship. At California State University, Los Angeles, he taught undergraduate chemistry and conducted research involving the biological chemistry of organomercury compounds. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Master of Science in Chemistry from California State University, Los Angeles, along with doctoral-level expertise in biochemistry.
Throughout his career, Dr. Todhunter has developed a broad portfolio of capabilities encompassing regulatory affairs, toxicology, pharmacology, biochemistry, clinical trials, biotechnology, pharmaceutical management, program management, research and development, and strategic business consulting. His experience includes regulatory filings, technical data analysis, risk assessment, product development, federal and state compliance, and interdisciplinary coordination. He is particularly effective in environments where decisions require the integration of scientific evidence, regulatory requirements, commercial priorities, and long-term organizational objectives. Rather than viewing technical challenges in isolation, he approaches them within the larger context of operational feasibility, market opportunity, and responsible growth.
His professional perspective has also been shaped by international exposure, particularly in Japan and Europe. Working within scientific and regulatory environments that extend beyond the United States has reinforced his appreciation for differing development practices, international research standards, and the importance of adapting strategies to varied regulatory expectations. His experience with internationally generated clinical evidence further illustrates the practical value of this global perspective. In an industry where research, development, manufacturing, and commercialization increasingly cross national boundaries, Dr. Todhunter offers organizations an informed approach to evaluating opportunities and navigating international complexity.
Beyond his executive and consulting responsibilities, Dr. Todhunter has contributed to professional knowledge-sharing through articles, publications, and speaking engagements throughout his career. His participation in professional discussions and presentations across a range of subjects reflects his commitment to exchanging ideas and communicating specialized knowledge. With experience spanning academic instruction, scientific research, federal leadership, and private enterprise, he is able to connect technical concepts with broader strategic considerations. His communication approach emphasizes substance, clarity, and the practical application of expertise to real-world challenges.
At the center of Dr. Todhunter’s professional philosophy is the belief that experience and knowledge create their greatest value when applied to meaningful organizational challenges. His career demonstrates an enduring commitment to scientific integrity, thoughtful decision-making, and helping organizations advance their objectives responsibly. Whether addressing regulatory uncertainty, evaluating emerging technologies, guiding research programs, or advising executive leadership, he brings a disciplined and collaborative approach grounded in decades of experience. Outside his professional commitments, he enjoys golf, an interest that complements his appreciation for focus, patience, preparation, and continuous improvement.
As Dr. Todhunter pursues opportunities to serve on corporate boards and advisory councils, he offers a distinctive combination of scientific authority, executive management experience, regulatory leadership, and strategic problem-solving capabilities. His background is especially relevant to organizations operating in pharmaceuticals, chemicals, biotechnology, healthcare, medical devices, and other highly regulated industries, although his advisory interests are not limited to these sectors. Having managed a consulting enterprise for more than three decades, served in senior government leadership, and guided complex product development initiatives, he understands the challenges organizations encounter as they innovate, grow, and adapt to changing market conditions.
Dr. Todhunter views board and advisory service as an opportunity to translate decades of accumulated knowledge into meaningful value for organizations and their stakeholders. His goal is to help leadership teams solve complex problems, evaluate strategic choices, strengthen operational and regulatory decision-making, and scale their businesses in the right direction. With a career bridging science, government, academia, and business, he brings an unusually broad perspective to the boardroom. His professional legacy reflects a consistent commitment to applying expertise with purpose, advancing responsible innovation, and helping organizations build stronger foundations for long-term success.
Character: Dr. Todhunter exemplifies integrity, professional discipline, and a commitment to responsible leadership, qualities reflected in his decades of scientific, governmental, and executive service. His dedication to helping organizations overcome complex challenges demonstrates a values-driven approach centered on accountability, sound judgment, and meaningful contributions.
Knowledge:
With more than 40 years of experience, Dr. Todhunter possesses extensive expertise in pharmaceutical development, chemical sciences, biotechnology, regulatory affairs, toxicology, and organizational management. His background across scientific research, federal regulatory administration, and executive consulting enables him to interpret complex technical and regulatory issues while understanding their broader business implications.
Strategic:
Dr. Todhunter combines analytical rigor with practical business insight to help organizations evaluate opportunities, mitigate risks, optimize development pathways, and pursue sustainable growth. His leadership of SRS International and his contributions to sophisticated regulatory and clinical development programs demonstrate his ability to align scientific innovation with strategic objectives.
Communication:
Bringing substantial experience communicating complex scientific and regulatory concepts to diverse audiences through executive consulting, academic teaching, professional writing, and speaking engagements. His ability to bridge technical expertise and organizational priorities supports productive collaboration, informed decision-making, and constructive dialogue among executives, stakeholders, and multidisciplinary teams.
